2018 Château de Fonbel £160...from the team at Ausone

2018 Château de Fonbel, St-Émilion Grand Cru

Lovely concentration of red and black fruits, beautifully supple tannins and good balance. This should drink relatively early. RKL

"Always one of the more accessible of the Vauthier range, this is really good in 2018. It's rich and lyrical, with lovely aromatics and great clarity to the raspberry and redcurrant flavours. It has firm but flexible tannins, and is altogether rather delicious. Touches of spice reveal themselves on the finish. Harvested 24 September to 8 October with a 30hl/ha yield. 30% new oak.Drinking Window 2024-2036. 91 points" Jane Anson, Decanter Magazine

"A juicy and rich young wine with lots of fruit and density. Round and soft tannins with hints of freshness at the same time. 91-92 points" jamessuckling.com

"Made up of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Carménère, the deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Fonbel gives up spicy notes of Sichuan pepper, cinnamon stick, cloves and fenugreek with a core of warm red and black cherries, mulberries and fragrant earth. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has wonderful freshness and a soft, creamy texture supporting the vibrant red and black fruit preserves flavors, finishing with a peppery lift. 91-93 points" Lisa Perotti-Brown, Robert.Parker.com

£160 per dozen bottles in bond

2018 Château Angélus, St-Émilion, 1er Grand Cru Classé A

"This shows beautifully sensibility of generous fruit and soft and velvety tannins with an undertone of chocolate and cedar. Full-bodied, pure and supple with a direct delivery of vibrant fruit and real terroir expression. Savory at the end with hazelnut and crunchy-seed flavors. Reality check here. Incredible fruit quality. 99-100 points." James Suckling, jamessuckling,com, April 2019

£1530 per case of six bottles in bond

2018 Château Angludet, Margaux Cru Bourgeois

"Deepest cherry red. Smells of tiny black berries, expressive and slightly floral. Smooth and rounded on the palate and just the right amount of freshness so that the tannins are not sharpened. Spicy, smooth finish. 13.5%. Drink 2025-2035. 16.5 points" jancisrobinson.com (JH)

"There was no Angludet last year because of frost, so it's good to see it back in 2018. It's making a sterling return, even if in smaller quantities from a yield of just 10hl/ha. It's wonderfully fragrant with touches of florality and beautiful ripeness to the brambly fruits. The palate has a lovely texture, where you feel the alcohol is generous but not overpowering. It's a brilliant wine, reminiscent of the excellent 2015 and possibly even better. It's one of my picks of the vintage in terms of its value to quality ratio, and you won't have to wait too long to drink it. Aged in cement vats, with malo in barrel for the Petit Verdot. 33% new oak. Drinking Window 2025-2038. 93 points" Jane Anson, Decanter Magazine

£156 per case of six bottles in bond (VERY LIMITED)

2018 Château Beaumont, Cru Bourgeois Haut Médoc

45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot.  Very intense, open and approachable on the nose with gentle new oak aromas and red and blackcurrant fruits.  Very fine, velvet tannins which frame the deep, blackcurrant and plum fruits on the palate.  Possibly the much vaunted quality of the Merlot in this vintage is super-charging the blend this year, but still balanced by the assertive tannins.  So balanced and lively, a delight to taste. RKL

"Firm, deep and well extracted, this is a rich purple colour with sweet blackberry fruits on the nose along with some gentle spicing. It's an elegant and extremely classic Médoc wine. The tannins are already smooth and starting to integrate with the fruits. The quality bodes well for the medium-priced wines in this vintage. One of the value picks of the Médoc. Drinking Window 2023 - 2035.  91 points." Jane Anson, Decanter April 2019. 

£105 per dozen bottles; £120 per 6 magnums in bond

2018 Château Carlmagnus, Fronsac

"Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Carlmagnus gives pronounced notes of plum preserves, baked blueberries and mulberries with touches of mocha, licorice and tar. Full-bodied and jam-packed with opulent, expressive black and blue fruit, it has a firm, velvety frame and fantastic freshness, finishing long and layered. 92-94+ points" Lisa Perotti-Brown, Robert.Parker.com

£110 per dozen bottles; £125 per 6 magnums in bond

2018 Château La Chenade, Lalande de Pomerol

Seemingly riper on the nose with lovely, leafy Cab Franc notes in evidence. Sweeter on entry than the Saintayme with delicious red fruit flavours combining with the darker, plummy fruits. Elegant and very long. RKL

"This is super fresh and juicy - an easy wine to recommend. It’s full of well-ripened autumnal fruits and is in fact pretty concentrated in terms of flavours – a wine that shows just how fully the grapes ripened on gravel soils in 2018 and yet maintains its floral aromatics and sense of easy elegance. 30% new oak was used. A yield of 40hl/ha. Drinking Window 2024-2038. 92 points" Jane Anson, Decanter Magazine

"This is really delicious and fresh with lovely dark berries and purity at the same time. Medium body, fine tannins and a lovely finish. 92-93 points" jamessuckling.com

£145 per dozen bottles in bond

2018 Château Les Cruzelles, Lalande de Pomerol

A big step up in richness and power here. A lovely entry with intense fruit spreading across the mid-palate and finishing very long. The tannins are so ripe and well-controlled this year. Delicious. RKL

"This is produced by Denis Durantou of Château L’Eglise Clinet. The 2018 Les Cruzelles is blended of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc with 40% new oak and 14.5% alcohol. Deep purple-black in color, it features slightly reduced notions of asphalt and tires over a core of warm red and black plums, blackberry pie and boysenberries with hints of fruitcake, incense and potpourri. Full-bodied, rich and packed with perfumed black fruit, it has a velvety texture and seamless freshness, finishing long. 91-93 points" Lisa Perotti-Brown, Robert.Parker.com

£210 per dozen bottles in bond

2018 Enclos Tourmaline, Pomerol

"Wow. The purity of fruit in this wine is stupendous with crushed raspberries and blackberries. Full-bodied, very layered and gorgeous with superbly fine yet forceful tannins and a driven finish. A triumph. Pure-merlot magic here.  97-98 points."  James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, April 2019

£309 per case of 3 bottles in bond

2018 Château Haut Brisson, St Emilion Grand Cru

"This is a very powerful and structured Haut-Brisson, showing incredible depth and richness. Full-bodied and layered with incredible depth and purity. Layers of fruit and tannin. Best ever.  95-96 points." JamesSuckling.com, April 2019

£220 per 12 bottles in bond

2018 Château Montlandrie, Castillon, Cotes de Bordeaux

A broader structure with darker brambly notes. Lovely sweetness in the mid-palate and ripe albeit more noticeable tannins. A little less concentration than the Cruzelles. RKL

"Produced by Denis Durantou of Château L’Eglise Clinet, the 2018 Montlandrie is a blend of 75% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon with 14.5% alcohol and is currently aging in 40% new oak. Deep purple-black in color, it features fragrant notes of lilacs, Morello cherries and blueberry compote over a core of plum preserves and woodsmoke plus a waft of underbrush. The medium to full-bodied palate is richly fruited with black and blue fruits, lifted by earthy accents and lovely freshness, finishing long and velvety textured. 92-94 points" Lisa Perotti-Brown, Robert.Parker.com

£174 per dozen bottles in bond

2018 Château Saintayme, St Emilion Grand Cru

After a beautifully pure Merlot nose the palate is structured and ripe but quite austere at the moment. Long on the finish and medium-bodied, this should be an elegant and very fine iteration of this super-value St Emilion. RKL

"Produced by Denis Durantou of Château L’Eglise Clinet, the 2018 Saintayme is made of 100% Merlot with 30% new oak and 14.5% alcohol. Deep garnet-purple colored, it bursts from the glass with plum preserves, crushed blackberries and chocolate-covered cherries with hints of lavender, unsmoked cigar and fragrant earth. Medium to full-bodied, the palate reveals beautiful freshness and elegance with soft tannins and loads of mineral sparks on the finish. 89-91 points" Lisa Perotti-Brown, Robert.Parker.com

"Vibrant ruby in colour, this is a touch austere right now, subdued but rippling with potential. The plump and glossy fruits are good quality and the palate is well structured, with clear lift on the finish. It may be holding back right now but it has a long life ahead. 30% new oak. Harvested between 29 September and 9 October. 3.7pH. Drinking Window 2025-2038. 91 points" Jane Anson, Decanter Magazine

"This is very perfumed with a firm and solid, stony tannin structure. Lovely, linear line through this. Full and tight at the same time. 92-93 points" jamessuckling.com

£135 per dozen bottles in bond

2018 Château Tour St Christophe, St Emilion Grand Cru

"Blueberry and blackberry character with hints of white pepper and chalk. Salty, too. Full-bodied, tight and polished with fantastic texture and length. Very closed and tight with gorgeous tannin quality.  96-97 points." James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, April 2019

£260 per 12 bottles in bond